Contour

Khari Lucas crafts a distinctive fusion of soul, jazz, blues, psychedelia, and avant-garde hip-hop, enhanced by his quivering vocals, which distinguishes his Contour output. Hailing from South Carolina, the artist initially worked as a beatmaker under that moniker before quickly advancing to release a sequence of personal, reverberant singles and EPs between 2018 and 2021. Connected to an imprint associated with South London's Touching Bass collective, he issued his debut album Onwards! in 2022, followed by the more austere and deeply personal Take Off from Mercy on Mexican Summer in 2024. Beyond his individual projects, Lucas has worked alongside Niecy Blues, Loraine James, and Omari Jazz—the latter partnership operating as Black Decelerant.

Born in Charleston, Lucas commenced songwriting and production during adolescence. Mid-2010s beat tapes marked his initial releases, with his first commercial effort being the 2017 EP Verses, a joint project with rapper Illadell. Around the time of his 2018 collaboration Interim Report with Garrott Odom, he put out early solo tracks including "Tantrum in Azure" and "Stop Trying to Be God," the latter succeeded in 2019 by the EP Live on Record. Further EPs came with Weight in 2020 and Love Suite in 2021, periods when Niecy Blues, sharing similar sensibilities, put forth material featuring Lucas' contributions. Through his association with Touching Bass, he unveiled Onwards! in 2022, drawing partial inspiration from the L.A. Rebellion cinematic movement. In 2023, an additional British tie emerged as he handled co-production, co-writing, and lead vocals for "Saying Goodbye," which closes Loraine James' Gentle Confrontation. As Black Decelerant, Lucas and Omari Jazz delivered the second installment in RVNG Intl.'s Reflection series, consisting of ambient pieces with occasional jazz elements. Shortly thereafter, he returned with Take Off from Mercy, another Contour album on Mexican Summer.